Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco

Regional Indicators for Labor Markets and Prices

Regional data provide indicators measuring characteristics of the dual mandate across the nation. This page provides data on labor market conditions, prices, and earnings for the 50 states and the District of Columbia and also for selected metropolitan areas within the SF Fed’s 12th District.

Labor Markets

The data in these maps are based on monthly observations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). States in the 12th District—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington—are highlighted in yellow. The overall U.S. value for each is included below the maps for comparison.

Unemployment Rates by State (%)

Note: Map displays the latest monthly state unemployment rates. Data are seasonally adjusted.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and FRBSF staff calculations.

Payroll Employment Growth Rates by State (%)

Note: Map 2 displays the latest monthly state employment growth rates calculated as the 12-month percentage change of total nonfarm payroll employment. Data not seasonally adjusted.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics from the establishment survey and FRBSF staff calculations.

Vacancy-to-Unemployment Ratios by State

Note: Map 3 displays the latest monthly vacancy-to-unemployment (V–U) ratios by state. The V–U ratio is a measure of the degree of labor market tightness. It is calculated by dividing the number of job vacancies reported in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) by the number of unemployed persons. A V-U ratio close to 1 indicates a relatively balanced labor market, while values above or below that indicate tighter or looser labor markets.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and FRBSF staff calculations.

Prices and Earnings

Prices and earnings growth are closely related. Data in this section allow the comparison of prices and earnings growth and their differences across regions.

Note: Percentage point contributions to overall CPI inflation for each of the metro areas in the 12th District for which CPI data are available. Metros areas are labeled by the principal city. Most metro areas report CPI data every other month, and the most recent month available for each area is listed. Data are not seasonally adjusted. The category labeled "Core Goods and Services, ex. Shelter" is comprised of goods and services excluding food, energy goods and services, and shelter services.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and FRBSF staff calculations.
Note: Map displays the latest monthly state nominal earnings growth rates. The rates are calculated as the 12-month percentage change of nominal average weekly earnings of private-sector employees. Earnings are first smoothed with a three-month moving average. Data not seasonally adjusted.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics from the establishment survey and FRBSF staff calculations.

Consumer price index for selected metro areas in the 12th District (pdf, 621 kb)

Contact Evgeniya.Duzhak (at) sf.frb.org and Leila.Bengali (at) sf.frb.org